Last weekend, Sanford and Son RC headed out to OCRC Raceway in Huntington Beach, CA to test the new Tekin T8i (Indoor) 1950KV motor and RX8 Gen 2 ESC. Our test vehicle was the new MP9e TKI from Kyosho.
The T8i motor was engineered specifically for indoor tracks and 1/8 E buggies that are at or near minimum weight. The motor is smaller and lighter than the other motors in the Tekin line (63 grams lighter than the T8, in fact). The motor was designed to be paired with the new RX8 Gen 2 ESC, so I bolted both into the Kyosho and wired them up. Assembly was very easy, and I was amazed at the (small) footprint of this new motor. The new RX8 Gen 2 ESC comes with a white case and white motor wires, and looks super clean. I downloaded the newest version of the HotWire software and installed it on a laptop PC. Next, I connected the ESC to my laptop via the supplied HotWire, started up the HotWire software, and proceeded to configure the ESC with the easy-to-use software. A neat feature of the software is that it allows you to load existing driver profiles into the ESC, so I downloaded an existing profile from the Team Tekin website and loaded it into the ESC. Then, using the software, I tweaked the brake, throttle and current limiter settings. A new feature of the ESC is the ability to set the BEC (battery elimination circuit) to either 6 volts or 7.4 volts. I elected the 6 volt setting initially. Software installation and configuring of the motor and ESC settings took less than 10 minutes.
Once at the track, I bolted on a new set of AKA Super Soft Handlebar tires on DE Racing Speedline wheels, and threw the car on the track. The layout at OCRC would be a good test for this motor/ESC combo, as it provides a number of tight turns, a long straightaway, a triple jump and a double-double jump (or quad jump if you are adventurous).
Right away I noticed the smoothness of this new motor, both in braking and acceleration. The car was very fast and smooth through the turns, but also had plenty of punch going onto the straightaway. At the end of the straightaway was a 90 degree right hand turn into an immediate triple jump. The car cleared the triple easily without having to swing wide for the takeoff. Next was a low-speed S turn into an immediate quad jump. I was able to jab the throttle and clear the quad jump consistently all day long.
After my first 6 minute run, the ESC was very cool (105 degrees), but the motor was too hot, so I hooked the ESC back up to the laptop via the HotWire, and noticed that the timing was set too high for my liking in the profile I had downloaded. I lowered the timing, and decided to change the BEC voltage setting from 6 volts to 7.4 volts. I put a fresh battery in the car, punched a few cooling holes in the body (should have done that to begin with), and took another run. After three 8 to 8 and 1/2 minute runs, the motor temperature was consistently in the 180-190 range.
Next, I geared down from a 15 tooth pinion to a 14 tooth, just to see how the new motor and ESC combo would handle the same layout with a smaller pinion. I was pleasantly surprised that acceleration and punch didn’t suffer at all, and I was still able to clear the triple and quad jumps easily. The car felt even better in the turns with the smaller pinion (I suspect that the 7.4 BEC setting contributed to the cars better performance through the turns, as my steering servo felt more responsive). After another 8 and 1/2 minute run, the motor temp came in at an acceptable 190 degrees. I wanted to make some 10 minute runs, but both my batteries are new, so I decided against it for now.
I have been running 1/8 eBuggy for about three years, and I can honestly say that my car has never felt better on an indoor track. The smoothness and power of the new T8i motor in conjunction with the RX8 Gen 2 ESC was unbelievable!
After my track testing, I hooked the ESC back up to the laptop and fired up the HotWire software one more time, because I wanted to check out the ESC’s new Data Logging feature. A number of motor and ESC performance data is logged in your ESC, such as Throttle values, ESC voltage, ESC and Motor temps, and motor RPM. This amazing new feature will allow you to see the real world results of any changes you might make to your motor and ESC settings in the HotWire software. This allows an unprecedented level of tuning. Amazing!
I highly recommend the new Tekin T8i motor and RX8 Gen 2 ESC combo to my fellow 1/8 scale eBuggy racers.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Tekin Team Manager Randy Pike for allowing me to test these amazing new products. To find out more information about these and other great Tekin products, visit Team Tekin on the web at www.teamtekin.com. If you see me at the track, please come by and say hello, and feel free to ask me any questions you might have about any of the Tekin products.
Stay tuned to www.SanfordAndSonRC.com for more upcoming product reviews, and I hope to see you at the track!
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